Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy has ventured back into the realm of reality television, participating in the filming of a cross-country road trip series with his family titled "The Great American Road Trip." This unscripted show, intended to commemorate America's upcoming 250th birthday, follows Duffy, his wife, and their nine children on what he describes as a "civic experience" designed to encourage families to explore the nation. The series trailer, released on a Friday, showcases the family engaging in various activities across the country, from snowmobiling in the West to visiting historical sites in Philadelphia, and even includes a dramatic depiction of an emergency room visit.
The trailer also features notable cameos, including Interior Secretary Doug Burgum and musicians Kid Rock and John Rich, alongside a Benjamin Franklin reenactor and President Trump, who makes a brief appearance commenting on their journey. The release of the trailer quickly ignited controversy, drawing criticism from various quarters, including prominent Democrats and social media users. Critics pointed to the timing of the show's announcement, coinciding with elevated gas prices attributed to the administration's ongoing conflict in Iran, which had reached their highest levels since July 2022.
This context led to widespread speculation about whether taxpayer funds had been used to finance what appeared to be a family vacation. In response to the criticism, Duffy took to the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, to assert that "the radical, miserable left has noticed our awesome Great American Road Trip trailer… and they hate it." He further stated, "They're upset because they don't want you to celebrate America!
And they definitely don't want you to teach your kids civics & patriotism." He maintained that the project's production costs were covered by a nonprofit organization named The Great American Road Trip Inc. However, this nonprofit's list of sponsors includes several prominent companies within the travel and transportation sectors, such as Toyota, Boeing, and United Airlines.
These companies have direct ties to the Department of Transportation, the very agency overseen by Secretary Duffy, thereby raising significant ethical questions and concerns about potential conflicts of interest. The nonprofit watchdog group Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington (CREW) formally responded to these developments by filing a complaint with the Department of Transportation's Office of Inspector General on the Monday following the trailer's release. CREW's complaint accuses Secretary Duffy of contravening federal gift and travel regulations and urges the Inspector General to initiate a thorough investigation into the matter.
Donald Sherman, the president of CREW, articulated his organization's concerns to NPR, stating, "You have everyday Americans who are struggling with the price of gas, struggling with the costs of everyday items, and you have the cabinet secretary announcing that he is going on a trip with his entire family, which appears to have been funded by the industries that his department is overseeing." Sherman emphasized the need to ascertain the amount of time Secretary Duffy and any government staff dedicated to this project. He also highlighted that Duffy's assertion that no taxpayer funds were utilized only served to deepen the inquiry.
"If he's saying that this is a work project or that he did work on the project, then taxpayer funds should be paying for it," Sherman explained. "And if it's a vacation or some kind of personal trip, then certainly industry should not be paying for it." Secretary Duffy, through his official statements and on X, has contended that his participation and travel arrangements were "approved by career ethics and budget officials in accordance with federal rules."
Nathaniel Sizemore, a spokesperson for the Department of Transportation, informed NPR that the department's "regulatory decisions are guided by career safety professionals, the law, and the facts." The origins of the "Great American Road Trip" series are rooted in Secretary Duffy's prior experiences with reality television. Before entering public service, Duffy was a participant on "The Real World: Boston" in 1997.
The following year, he met his wife, Rachel Campos-Duffy, on MTV's "Road Rules: All Stars." In a joint appearance on "Fox & Friends," where Campos-Duffy co-hosts on weekends, she recounted that their family had been approached by numerous reality television producers over the past three decades but had consistently declined. The inspiration for this particular series, she explained, stemmed from President Trump's directive to Cabinet members to spearhead initiatives celebrating America's 250th anniversary.
This directive resonated with Duffy, who recalled his own childhood experiences of taking family road trips from his native Wisconsin to Florida. "I wanted to lean into America's 250th birthday; Rachel and I actually met on a road trip on a reality TV show," Duffy stated. "And so over the course of seven months, we just kind of found these moments where I might be able to do some work, take the kids with me, do a road trip."
Initially, the couple considered documenting their travels through social media videos. However, Campos-Duffy elaborated, "And then we started talking about it, we were like, 'Let's go back to our roots. Let's do this one for free.
We'll put it on YouTube, we'll let the whole country see it.'" She expressed a hope that the series would inspire other families: "If just one more family says, 'Load up the car and let's go spend time together … let's see America during her birthday year,' then, we said, we will have done something wonderful." The exact release date for the five-part series on YouTube remains uncertain.
Duffy indicated to "Fox & Friends" that episodes would begin rolling out in June. However, Tori Barnes, the executive director of The Great American Road Trip Inc. , informed NPR that "the timing and cadence has not yet been finalized."
Secretary Duffy, accompanied by his wife Rachel Campos-Duffy and some of their children, is pictured after being sworn into office by Vice President Vance in January 2025. The image was provided by Rod Lamkey/AP. Barnes confirmed that filming activities took place in various locations, including Washington, D.
C. , Philadelphia, Tennessee, Montana, Wyoming, Florida, South Carolina, Arizona, Louisiana, and Massachusetts. In a moment captured in the trailer, Duffy addresses his children outside a converted 19th-century Boston firehouse, the former set of his "Real World" season, saying, "If I never lived in this house, none of you would be here."
Reports suggest that Duffy collaborated with the same production company responsible for his "Real World" season, though Barnes declined to confirm this detail when reached by NPR. Duffy has stated that the filming occurred in brief, one- to two-day intervals, such as "weekends and the kids' spring break," spread across a seven-month period. Neither The Great American Road Trip Inc.
nor the Department of Transportation provided specific dates for this filming window. Sizemore, the Department of Transportation spokesperson, communicated via email to NPR that during these "brief stops, the Secretary also often conducted additional visits like touring air traffic control towers and assessing port infrastructure." He further noted, "Like with any other official engagements, the Department covered the flight."
Duffy's tenure as Secretary has coincided with a turbulent period for air travel, marked by significant aviation incidents, operational disruptions, and financial challenges exacerbated by soaring jet fuel prices. Sizemore also asserted that participating in the celebration of the nation's 250th birthday aligns with Duffy's official responsibilities. In one segment of the trailer, Duffy is seen speaking to his family while seated on a couch, remarking, "Someone has to pay for this operation; I gotta go to work."
The prominent display of the Toyota logo on the road-trip vehicle in the four-minute trailer has drawn particular attention. The image, a screenshot from the Department of Transportation, highlights the vehicle's branding. As the trailer circulated on social media, numerous commenters posed questions regarding the funding of the trip.
While some expressed concern about the potential use of taxpayer money, others raised alarms about the product placement, specifically the conspicuous featuring of Toyota, a Japanese automotive brand. Sherman of CREW voiced his agreement with these concerns, stating, "One has to wonder whether the decision to prominently feature Toyota in this project is because Toyota paid for a sponsorship or because the secretary actually thinks that promoting Toyota is in the best interest of the American public, American automakers and the people that work for that industry." Reinforcing his earlier statements, Duffy wrote on social media, and the Department of Transportation subsequently reiterated, that "zero taxpayer dollars were spent on my family."
He clarified that neither he nor his family members received any salary or production royalties, and that The Great American Road Trip, Inc. bore the production costs. Barnes confirmed that the nonprofit covered these expenses, although she did not disclose the total amount.
Sizemore further elaborated that the nonprofit also funded "things like gas, car rentals, lodging and activities." He characterized The Great American Road Trip Inc. as an "independent organization" and stated, "How and who they accept donations from in furtherance of their mission to celebrate America's 250th birthday is their decision."
The Great American Road Trip Inc. identifies itself as an independent nonprofit 501(c)(4) organization, committed to "fully funding its own efforts to celebrate and share America's story." However, an inquiry in the IRS database did not yield any results for an organization bearing this name, and Barnes did not provide an identification number when requested by NPR.
The nonprofit's website lists more than a dozen sponsors that are allegedly "powering America's road trip." A significant number of these sponsors operate within the travel and transportation industries. Notable sponsors include Toyota, Boeing, and Royal Caribbean.
Sherman pointed out that these companies have faced scrutiny, including investigations and, in some instances, fines, from the Department of Transportation in recent years, and could potentially be subject to future regulatory actions. "[The nonprofit] has become a vehicle for providing access, to its sponsors, to a cabinet secretary, which should make everyday Americans who cannot pay for similar access really concerned," Sherman added. In a further illustration of the close relationship between government entities and industry players, Barnes, the executive director of The Great American Road Trip Inc.
, previously held the position of executive vice president of public affairs and policy at the U. S. Travel Association.
Barnes stated that the nonprofit's mission is built upon "three key pillars": celebrating the nation's 250th birthday, promoting domestic travel and tourism, and highlighting "the transportation, infrastructure and ingenuity that built America over the past 250 years and will build America over the next 250 years." Responding to inquiries about potential conflicts of interest, Barnes wrote, "We are supported by partners who share these goals and believe in encouraging Americans to rediscover the people, places and experiences that define our country." Sherman expressed his hope that CREW's nine-page complaint, coupled with the growing public attention, would compel the Department of Transportation's inspector general to initiate an investigation into whether Secretary Duffy violated established government ethics rules.
He emphasized that the American public deserves transparency regarding these events and that other government officials should be alerted. "especially because I imagine as we get closer to the 250th anniversary, there will be more of these attempts to sort of muddy the waters between what's official action and what's not," Sherman commented. The "Great American Road Trip," encompassing both the planned television series and the associated nonprofit initiative, is intended to highlight…
